Switch



E- H. JACOBS.

SWHCH. APPLICATION FILED DEC. \8. Hi8. 1,375,155. Patented Apr. 19, 1921. 629.2 17 7 j? .75

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ERNEST H. JACOBS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T ELECTRICAL ENGINEERS EQUIPMENT COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS,

SWITCH.

' Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 19, 192i T 0 all whom it may cor/worm Be it known that l, ERNEST H. Jacons, a citizen of the United States, residing in (.lhica o. in the county of (look and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Switches of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings. forming a part oi this specification My invention relates to improvements in switches for opening and closing electrical circuits.

The continued (lQVGlOPHIBlllZ of electric power transmission systems which leads to many circuits carrying large quantities of current and zt'lsothe high cost of materials. continues to enforce economy in sizes of contact and switches, and also in the quantity of material used, with the result that in many instances, the old style spring contact switches do not present contact capacity sulficient to prevent overheating. This situation has created a demand for a switch of minimum dimensions and low cost. as to materials. and one of maximum current rarrying capacity relatively to the dimensions and material used.

The object of the present invention is to provide a switch of. the characterabove out lined which shall provide maximum coop crating contacting surfaces. relatively to the size of the switch, which shall consist of a minimum number of parts and in which the blades shall comprise bars formed of straight bars of metal and formed to provide contacting spacin (parts or shoulders for maintaining the hi e es spaced substantially the thickness of the contacts with which the blades cooperate.

My invention will be more readily under stood by a reference to said drawings in which: p

Figure 1 is a. topplan view of the switch in closed position;

Fig. 2 is aside elevation of the switch Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one of the contact members; and

Fig. 4 ise fragmentary top plan View of a modified form of switch bar. I

The switch comprises two metal contacts 1 and 2 each mounted upon the to of an insulator 3. These insulators are xed upon asiiitable base plate 4 by means of metal standards 5 which are secured upon the to surface of the base 4 by screws (3. These standards project up within the insulators and are sector-d thereto by cement or (illlt'u suitable means. i

The metal contacts .1 and 2 (lll'llllllFiP an electrical contact part at their upper ends which is formed to rovide flat ooiiti-u Sui faces 7 at their opposite sides. Thee-c ur faces of the two contact mem ers are in tended to lit, in tw ulrallel planes. but it is readily undrrstoml that when they arc; liuil up on maul-atone. as describe-ii, thi v may ii'll he truly paralle and it is this lack o'f trur parallelism \Yll l1 my i moment is it: tended to minimize. in so far as it w-x tend to destroy proper maximum contacting surfaces. Earl! of the members 1 and i; is

provided with a bottom. projection 8 adapt" ed to enter within the upper end of the insulator upon which it is mounted and is adapted to he held rigidly therein by cement or otherwise. llarh of the contacts 1 and 2 115 provided with a horizontal base projec tion 9 to which a suitable terminal 10 can be sc urrd. as by bolts 11 for securing a L'nlullivlnl' to tiierontart member.

The switch bar for electrically connecting the tnntzu't members 1 and 2 comprises two substantially p: 'llllQl blades 12 and 13 made from straight bars of metal. These blades are as wide as the contacts 7 are high and are relatively thin so that they are adapted to yield, to some extent to accommodate themselves to lie flat against the surfaces At one end of the switch bar the blades are plvotally mounted upon the contact member 1 by a bolt 1 1 which passes through the two blades and through a central aperture which I provide in the member 1. I yieldingly ho d the blades against the side of the contact member 1 by spring washers 15 and 16 which I provide on the bolt 14 and which are held against the outer sides of the blades 12 and 13 by the head of the bolt and the nut 17 at the opposite end of the bolt. ,Each of the washers is cup shaped and has its outer )art divided into a plurality of spring arms 1 g radial saw cuts 18. It Will be understood t at other spring means may be employed for holding the blade against the contact members.

The opposite ends of the blades are oifset or bent toward each other, as at 19 to bring the adjacent faces into contact to hold the blades substantially parallel with each other and spaced apart suflicient to properly enage upon the sides 7 of the contact memer 2.

In the preferred form of my invention I hold the two blades yieldingly together by two bolts 20 and 21 similar to the pivot bolt 14 and arranged to span the contact member 2, and I yieldingly hold the two blades toward each other as b sprin washers on the bolts 20 and 21, simi ar to t e spring washers 15 and 16 on the pivot bolt.

For swinging the switch blades on their pivots for opening and closing each switch provide the switch blade with a hole 23 in its free end adapted to receive a hook or some similar tool for movingathe blades. I provide this hole by roviding openings in the two blades which register with each other when the blades are assembled as de scribed, the several bolts servin to hold the blades in relative osition. 1en the two ofl'set ends of the blades are in contact the blades are spaced apart slightly less than the thickness of the contact 2,so that as the switch bar is closed upon the contact 2, the blades are wedged slightl apart against the spring pressure. Even w en the ends of the blades are\held against separation they are not permanently distorted by being thus spread apart as they are thin enough to permit this spreading action and I bevel the free end 24 of the contact 2 to permit the easy insertion of the contact between the blades. In order to limit the closing movement of the switch bar and also to provide additional contacting surfaces, I provide lateral shoulders 25 on the sides of the contact member 2, against which the lower edges of the blades contact when in circuit closing position. These shoulders are preferably arranged to set the switch bar parallel with the base when completely closed.

It will now be clear that the two blades are adapted to lie flat against the faces 7 of the contact members, even though these faces are not in true alinement, that consequently the switch provides maximum contasting surfaces relatively to the dimensions of the parts, and that the offset ends of the blades serve as spacers to hold the blades spaced far enough apart to receive the contact member 2 between. them.

In the form of m invenion illustratedin Fig. 4, I have eliminated the spring means for yieldingly holding the free ends of the blades together, relying upon the resiliency of the blades themselves for this function,

and holding them against separation by the bolt 26, spaced a short distance from the inner edge of the contact member 2 and some means for tying the outer'ends of the blades together, such as the tubular rivet 27. As in the first form I provide the outer ends of the two blades 28 and 29 with registering openings and I utilize this opening for the tubular rivet 27. I secure the rivet 27 in not absolutely necessary. As explained, the

resiliency of the blades themselves is depended upon to permit the switch bar as a whole to yield when closing the bar upon the contact 2, the blades being held together slightly closer than the thickness of the contact member.

As many modifications of my invention will readily sug est themselves to those skilled in the art, do not intend that I shall be limited to the specific structures or arrangements herein shown and described.

I claim:

1. In combination, a pair of rigid stationary contact members, a pair of separate flexible blade members pivoted on one of said contact members and lying outside of both said stationary Contact members, said blade members having their outer ends offset to engage each other for spacing said blades apart a distance substantially equal to or slightly less than the thickness of the other of sand contact members and being free to permit lateral play of the blades at their ends to make good contact with the latter contact member.

2. In. combination, a pair of rigid stationary contact members, a pair of separate flexible blade members pivoted on one of said contact members and lying outside of both said stationary contact members, said blade members having their outer ends oilset to engage each other for spacing said blades apart substantially the distance of the thickness of the other of said contact members, and said outer ends being free to ermit late'ral play thereof and being rovlded with means for opening or closing t e blades simultaneously.

3. In combination, a pair of rigid stationary contact members, one,of said members having an aperture, a pair of separate flexible blades lying on opposite sides of said contact members, a bolt passing through said blades and through said a ertuted.

sides of said apertured member, the extreme outer ends of-said-blades being offset beyond the second contact member for contact with each other for retaining said blades in substantial alinement and substantially parallel forv placement upon said other contact memher, said ends being free to provide lateral play so that the blades may grip the other contact member.

4. In an electric switch, a rigid stationary contact member, a pair of separate flexible blades lying on the opposite sides of said member, a bolt passing through said blades and said member for pivotally mounting said blades thereon, spring means for yieldingly holding the blade in contact with the sides of said member, a second stationary contact member spaced from the first member, said blades adapted to be swung on said bolt to contact with the sides of said second contact member, means yieldin ly holding said blades toward each other or contact with said second contact member, the free ends of said blades being ofl'set inwardl to contact with each other for spacing said blades in substantially parallel relation the free ends of'said blades having alining openings 'for swinging them simultaneously on said pivot for opening or closing the switch, said free ends havin lateral play to permit the blades to adapt t emselves to the sides of the second contact member.

5. In an electrical switch, two stationary contact members having oppositel disposed contact surfaces lyin substantial y in parallel planes, 2 -lwitc bar comprising two separate relatively thin flexible blades formed from straight metal bars, said blades lying in contact with said oppositely disposed contact surfaces, said bars pivotally mounted on one of said contact members and adapted to straddle the other of said contact members, the ends of said bars offset toward each other to contact with each other for spacing said blades apart slightly less than the thickness of said other contact member, and means holding the blades together but permitting them to yield laterally to permit the entrance of said other contact member between them.

6. In a switch of the 'kind described, a pair of inflexible statioi'uu'y contact mem bers fOlll'lGd of cast metal. a switch bar comprising rclatively yielding blades pivotally mounted on one contact member and adapted to straddle the other member, said other member having integral shoulders adapted and an integral lug forming a flange for contact with the lower'edges of said blades, the contact below said shoulders being thickened and having a flaring base portion.

7. In a switch of the kind'described, a pair of rigid inte ral stationary contact members formed 0 cast metal, a yieldable switch bar pivotally mounted on one said member, and adapted to yieldably straddle and contact with the other said member, each said member having an integral projection at its lower end adapted to be embedded in an insulator and held therein with cement, adapted to rest on the top of the insulator.

8. A switch lug and terminal, comprising a base and a projecting contacting portion having finished parallel sides for contact with a pair of blades, said parallel sides terminating in shoulders for engaging the edges of the switchbladessaid projecting contacting portion being formed of solid metal, a laterally extending portion projecting from said base forming an attaching lug for connection with the line and a central stud below the contact portion adapted to be cemented into an insulator, all of said parts being formed of integral cast metal.

7 9. In combination, a pair of solid metal contact members, one forming a pivot contact and the other forming a free contact, a pair of flat blades pivoted on said pivot contact and spring means for holding the ends of the blades fiat-against the pivot contact, the opposite ends of said blades being adapted to engage the, free contact along its sides. spring means ontne blades at each side of the free contact to cause the blades to lie lat against the free contact, the blades adjacent their ends and beyond the tree contact being otl'set inwardly and broughtinto flat contact with each pthcr for a short distance at the end of the blades and alining apertures through said contacting parts, said blades being free at their outer ends to permit lateral play for securing good contact with said free contact.

lln witness whereof I hereunto subscribe my name this 17th day of December, A. D.

1918. V ERNEST H. JACOBS. 

